31 comments:

Laika
said...

Well, unfortunately I can't vote in today's midterms, but in the UK's recent general election, I did cast a vote for Mike Leigh for Minister of All Films in Perpetuity. Unfortunately, he didn't make it into the coalition government...

Minister of movies? Hmm. It has to be 1. Someone with a great filmography. 2. Someone dedicated to preserving great films. 3. Someone who doesn't mess with their own films after they get released. 4. An amicable public presence. 5. Someone not blatanty out to offend or grandstand with their movies. Obviously Scorsese. When he dies I'd guess The Coens. (They repeated themselves a lot speechwise at the No Country Oscars, but they never really mean to provoke, either publicly or in the content of their movies. Plus, you know once Scorsese dies, they'd take up the "Preservation" torch.)

But we're talking about the GOVERNOR of movies!!! We need to choose someone progressive, but still a little conservative. Someone who's directed before, but isn't exactly IN the director's circle (so she/he's not bias). I think the best option would be none other than:

I love Barbra, but I don't think she'd work. She'd probably have more biases than than a director...she'd have worked with a number of them and then she still probably has that chip on her shoulder because they snubbed her with the AMPAS twice.

Tarantino? He runs toward one set of voices. (Hitchcock, Huston, DePalma, Leone and then, past that, mostly exploitation.) Preservation? Somehow I think he would get kicks from scratchy film, damaged film, film in need of repair. Offense? I'd say he's not blatantly out to offend in his films (he's not Pasolini, Roeg, Bunuel or Waters). Amicable public presence? This is where it gets slippery. Privately I don't think he's unleashed anything too awful or nasty. Public persona, though, does reveal someone who could come across as, to be frank, slimy.

Lynch: Eraserhead, although it perfectly encapsulates my taste, is also an example of how he wouldn't fit as a political face of movies. Too weird, too OUT THERE. That, in and of itself, is clearly grandstanding (Fellini, Aronofsky and Von Trier are probably also directors I wouldn't want as a political face of the cinema.)

J Renoir: Dead. Next!

Almodovar: Too many flirtations with the NC-17.

Mike Leigh: Not public enough. Over love of neo-realist strain.

Uwe Boll: Clearly a joke. Next!

Fincher: Interesting. Fight Club though, is a bit too ANGRY.

Kidman: Not even a director.

Jim Sheridan: Too small. Next!

Miyazaki: Interesting. Although, Animation Director could have public perception of low amount of people skills.

Streisand: Faded star. Hasn't had primary creative control, whether that be lead acting or directing, in 14 years.

I've been on a Baz Luhrmann kick these past couple of days so i'll go with him.

I'm going to see the new Blu-Ray release of Romeo + Juliet this weekend which i haven't seen for 7-8 years. I barely remember it. In addition, on one of the Moulin Rouge! extras, i saw a wonderful preview/TV Spot of his production of La Boheme, so i might end up seeing that one of these days.and i stumbled upon an article on Entertainment Weekly on his search for a Daisy for The Great Gatsby.Plus, a teacher blanked on his name in class today and i most dutifully helped him out. lol.

so, yeah. he's been on my mind a lot these days.

I'd love to have my romantic life directed by Baz. It would be filled to the brim with beautiful, grandiose moments...then in the meantime, i could stare at the gorgeous scenery that Catherine Martin would provide. oh yes.

and if Ewe Boll gets elected, i'll be forced to do some very bad things.

President Susan SarandonPedro Almodovar for Governor of Good Taste and Quality of Life Vanessa Redgrave as Secretary of State (take that: Zionist hooligans)Quentin Tarantino as Secretary of Education (he’s a high school dropout but brilliant and will encourage the children to follow their own creative path)Sean Penn as Secretary of Defense David Lynch as mayor of my city

Hirokazu Koreeda! Reading his interviews (and watching his movies) leaves you with the impression that he would do some careful thinking, and maybe even some diagram drawing, before he made a decision.

(I would vote Changdong because he has experience as a culture minister but I haven't seen any of his yet.)

S. Coppola: 4 films, 1/2 of which have tepid reviews, is not a great enough, or large enough, body of work. Plus: If any people want to claw out their eyes on sight (Godfather Part III, anyone), does that make a good modern politician?

Denzel Washington: Not a director. Next!

Korreda: Could be great, but wouldn't you want someone who, maybe, isn't so careful? The distribution system needs fixing now. If film is something specific that the Government decides to fix, shouldn't a more active persona be picked as the voice.

Thus: Scorsese, who has actively pursued film preservation, has a sterling filmography, hasn't recut or changed the visuals of their films, doesn't have an offensive public presence and doesn't blatantly seek to offend or grandstand in his movies. Shock is one thing, offense another. Hitchcock making Psycho is shock. Laughton making The Night of the Hunter is shock. Scorsese making Taxi Driver and Raging Bull is shock. Pasolini making Salo is offense. Von Trier making Antichrist is offense (and also grandstanding.) Lynch making Eraserhead is grandstanding. Bunuel making Un Chien Andalou is grandstanding.